Beneath Her Skin: A Horror Charity Anthology by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-04-11T00:00:00+00:00

2

RADIOACTIVE ROSE

WILLOW

Istare at the gloomy sky, the sun veiled by sluggish rain clouds, threatening to unleash Mother Nature’s tears onto the earth below. Pencil in hand, I attempt to capture the melancholy scene in my sketchpad—the same weight of uncertainty that hangs over Riley and me.

Our future has never felt so unclear. Sure, bouncing from one foster home to the next has always been chaotic, but now that the system has chewed us up and spat us out like stray dogs, we’re truly lost. We’ve never found a place that feels like home.

But in my heart, I know—wherever Riley is, that’s home.

Out on the pavement, Riley’s on her skateboard, blowing off steam the only way she knows how. It’s her go-to whenever her anger threatens to explode. I watch her, entranced by the way she moves—so effortless, like the world bends to her rhythm. Her worn combat boots, thrifted over a year ago, push against the cement with each kick. Her baggy black cargo pants and oversized tee billow in the wind. We couldn’t be more different in style, and yet, I wouldn’t change a single thing about her.

Everything about Riley is bold, loud, and unapologetically rebellious. A vivid streak of neon green slashes across her side bangs, framing her intense eyes—a striking electric contrast to her onyx waves, like a visual echo of the storm she carries in her soul. Nothing about her is ordinary. Every inch of her screams defiance at the world, a walking middle finger to society’s concept of “normal.”

She is everything I’m not. They say opposites attract, and we are the living embodiment of that. She calls me her strawberry sunshine, and to me, she’s my radioactive rose.

We just…meld together, two halves of one soul, bound by something that could never be broken.

Riley attempts a boardslide on the curb, but she loses her balance and crashes hard. She lands on her back, her fist slamming onto the pavement in frustration.

“Shit,” she huffs, offering me a lopsided grin that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

I rush over and kneel beside her, brushing her neon green bangs out of her face. Her caramel eyes meet mine, and for a brief moment, her fierce resolve cracks, exposing the vulnerable girl underneath. Her sun-kissed bronze cheek sinks into the palm of my hand as though seeking comfort.

I glide my thumb gently across her cheek, trying to tell her without words that it’s okay—that she doesn’t have to carry the weight of everything alone.

She sits up slowly, her hand catching mine and holding it against her skin. “What are we gonna do, Will?” she asks, her voice trembling. “I don’t know how to protect us—protect you—this time.” Tears brim in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

Ever the protector. My knight in grungy armor, cloaked in toxic hues and fierce rebellion.

I link my pinky finger with hers, lifting her hand to my lips to press a soft kiss there. She leans forward and does the same to mine, just like we’ve done since we were kids.

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